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At some point, I find myself pinned beneath her.

She stares down, hair framing her face, eyes glowing with that purna intensity.

I recall how she subdued me with psionic might, how I once believed I should subdue her.

Now I yield willingly, letting her set the pace, enthralled by her sheer force of will.

She leans in for a lingering kiss, tasting my surrender.

Then she shifts to Eryx, hooking his chin for another devouring kiss, while Zareth slides against her side, pressing reverent kisses along her shoulder.

Our collective voices fill the chamber—a harmony of ragged breaths, low moans, whispered endearments.

Sweat slicks our bodies, the bedding tangling around us.

My mind drifts, free of tension, reveling in this proof that we overcame Orthani’s traditions to stand as a poly union.

The vow we took is real. Our desire is unstoppable.

Eventually, the crescendo fades. We collapse in a panting sprawl.

Selene rests on top of Eryx’s chest, head nestled against his collarbone, while Zareth sprawls to her left, and I stretch out to her right, each of us connected by limbs or lazy touches.

My heartbeat slows, euphoria humming in my veins.

She’s the first to break the hush. “I needed that,” she murmurs, voice tinged with satisfaction. “After so many formalities and anxious watchers, I yearned to remind each of you who truly rules this bed.”

Eryx chuckles, stroking a hand along her spine. “Your dominion is absolute, dear queen. We can confirm it daily if you like.”

Zareth’s chuckle is more subdued. “A daily reassertion of your hold might prove overwhelming, but I won’t complain.”

I let out a shaky breath, letting my palm rest on her thigh. “I stand ready. Always. Orthani saw us vow our loyalty tonight, but they’ll never see what truly happens here. This is ours alone.”

Her eyes flick to me, a teasing glint. “Yes. The city needs to know we’re united in principle, but they need not see every intimate detail.”

I smile, recalling how the crowd gawked at us during the vow. Now we share a deeper bond away from prying eyes. The entire city can speculate about our arrangement, but only we feel this raw synergy.

Outside, the faint hum of Orthani drifts through an open balcony door.

We can hear distant chatter, somewhere a street musician plucking a cautious melody.

People must be returning to daily life, albeit changed by the knowledge that a purna stands in the monarchy’s good graces.

I half-close my eyes, letting relief wash over me.

Not long ago, I’d never have believed Orthani capable of such transformation.

Selene stirs, rolling onto her side, facing me with a soft grin.

“Tomorrow, I meet with the King and council to finalize purna refuge policies. You’ll be there as well, I trust?

” She glances around at Zareth and Eryx.

“I want each of you present in some capacity, though not overshadowing the council. Apologies—must avoid that word overshadow. I want you near but not overshadowing. Let them see we stand firm.”

Eryx makes a lazy salute. “Of course, my presence always keeps them on their toes.”

Zareth nods. “I’ll attend discreetly, gleaning any subtle manipulations. They won’t catch us unprepared.”

I tighten my arm around her. “And I’ll stand at your side, as commander loyal to Orthani and to you, bridging the old guard and new. The city can’t question that unity.”

She closes her eyes with a sigh of contentment. “Then we move forward, forging a new normal for Orthani. We opened the gate; now we keep it that way. Thank you, truly.”

Silence enfolds us again, warm and comforting.

My limbs feel heavy with satisfaction, my mind drifting on the haze of spent passion.

I trace idle patterns along her lower back, Eryx’s faint breathing near her ear, Zareth’s gentle touches at her arm.

No words needed as we bask in the moment.

I recall how far we’ve come, from capturing a mysterious purna in the city’s slums to forging an official vow that confounds every archaic law.

After a while, Eryx speaks up, voice husky. “Selene, what if Orthani faces new threats from beyond? The city still stands on fragile ground. Are we prepared?”

She lifts her head, meeting Eryx’s gaze with calm resolve. “We overcame the Red Purna’s siege. If orcs, waira, or any new threat arise, we’ll unify Orthani to repel them. That’s the promise I made the King. I have you three, plus my own purna allies. We’ll be unstoppable if we stand together.”

A quiet confidence washes over me. “We do stand together,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her temple. “That’s the vow, in public or in private.”

Zareth’s voice remains even. “Let’s hope the city learns quickly that it can’t survive fracturing itself over old prejudices. If they do, we’ll step in again.”

Her half-smile appears, a little wry. “Orthani can resist progress all it wants, but we’re forging ahead. If they refuse, well… we have ways of persuasion.”

Eryx gives a sly laugh. “Indeed we do. For now, we enjoy the hush of victory. Let them whisper about the purna queen who shares three men. We know the truth of who we are.”

Another hush settles, broken only by the flicker of lanternlight and our slowed breathing.

My eyes droop, lulled by the afterglow of lovemaking, the rhythmic pulse of my heart.

The vow we made outside under the watchful eyes of King Rython and the entire city resonates here in the sheets, an unspoken declaration that no tradition can break our bond.

The knowledge that we brought Orthani to a new dawn fills me with cautious hope.

I let sleep tug at me, drifting with the memory of Selene’s luminous eyes and the swirl of her purna markings in the lamplight.

Tomorrow, the city might challenge us again, but tonight is ours—no negotiations, no battles, just the living proof that old walls crumble under the force of unwavering devotion.

And as my consciousness dims, I sense her shifting closer to me, the warmth of Eryx’s chest at my back, Zareth’s arm curved protectively around her waist. We lie entwined, forging a circle of unity that Orthani couldn’t have imagined.

Our vow stands, stronger than the walls that once kept us apart.

Let them see us as a new testament to what this city can become.

We are unbroken, and she is ours, just as we are hers.